Heineken commissions US$100m brewery plant in Mozambique

MOZAMBIQUE – Heineken, a global leading beer
maker, has commissioned its first brewery in Mozambique after an investing to the tune of US$100 million in
developing the new modern plant.

Located in the district of Maputo, the new brewery will have a production capacity of 800 000 hectolitres (80 million litres) per year.

The plant will produce four international brands – Heineken, Amstel, Sagres and Strongbow – as well as Txilar, new beer specially made by Mozambicans for Mozambican consumers using locally sourced maize.

Speaking during the
inauguration ceremony, Jean-François van Boxmeer, chief executive officer at
Heineken, highlighted that the investment will play a key role in contributing
to and strengthening country’s economy.

“We believe in
Mozambique. The population is young and vibrant, the middle class is growing
and living increasingly in cities, the economic perspectives are encouraging
and the beer market has a great potential to grow.

The construction of
Heineken’s first brewery is a major step for the company’s presence in the
country,” van Boxmeer said.

The company started its activities in Mozambique late 2016 through a sales and marketing office, importing international brands including Heineken, Amstel, Sagres and Strongbow to offer more choice to Mozambican consumers.

However, one year
later, Boudewijn Haarsma, Heineken International managing director of East and
West Africa, expressed the company’s interests in investing in brewery plant,
whose establishment started in 2017.

“Investing in a new
market like Mozambique supports Heineken’s ambition to expand its footprint and
be the number one or a strong number two in all markets in which it operates.

With our extensive
experience and existing business in Africa, we also aim to be a partner for
growth today in Mozambique as we already are throughout the continent,” Haarsma
said.

The
investment will now enable Heineken leverage on the country’s beer market whose
consumption is currently at 10.5 litre per capita.

Through
this important investment, Heineken Mozambique already employs 200 people – 96%
of which are Mozambican which contributed to “encouraging” the socio-economic situation
in the country.

In its previous financial
year, Heineken branded beer volume grew 7.7%, its strongest performance in more
than a decade and boasts of ten markets now selling more than 1 million
hectolitres of Heineken branded beer.

The event was
attended by President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi, the
Minister of Trade and Industry, the Minister of Agriculture and the Dutch
Ambassador, Mr. Roland Pirmez, President for the Africa, Middle East and
Eastern Europe region among others.